When Gabriel returned, he let me know that his former employer was very grateful that I would be hiring the majority of his staff. The Cook, now Chef, was willing to come but asked that her entire kitchen staff also come with her. I told Gabriel to handle it. Staffing was now his concern. He looked pleased.

  Gabriel explained that staffing was still not complete, and some positions would need my direction and even my approval, such as valet and secretary. He would look for acceptable candidates and arrange interviews in the coming week.

  The next step was to furnish the house and office and the rest of the afternoon, and early evening was a whirlwind of furniture shopping. Gabriel was immensely helpful. He had a cousin in the furniture business. He had a very good eye for quality and was an excellent negotiator. I was completely clueless but was learning a lot as I watched him haggle with the furniture store owner/cousin over not only the cost of my bedroom furniture but ensuring him include delivery and set up were included in the cost. Then he went a step further and had his cousin agree to have everything done tonight.

  Next stop looked to be a fabric store, and another cousin. It had a wide variety of products, including curtains and bedding. I let Gabriel go wild. Curtains, bedding, furniture coverings, and even staff uniforms were all purchased. It had taken us a few hours to finish, and I was getting impatient. I never did like shopping, and besides I was hungry. I let Gabriel know that it was time to go. He finished up negotiating the delivery of the purchased items, and we left to go find food.

  Gabriel brought me to a restaurant where successful merchants and other professionals frequented. When we got there, Gabriel immediately went to the ma?tre de and arranged for a table. After that he made to leave, but I told him we would be eating together. He protested, but I explained that I did not like going to restaurants alone. We would be spending a lot of time together and he needed to get used to my idiosyncrasies.

  As I was not familiar with the local cuisine, I followed the waiter’s recommendations. Soon a three-course meal appeared on the table. Everything tasted good, except the purple looking mush. I have a rule: Don’t eat anything purple. I detested eggplant on Earth and so have had that rule my entire life. The meat, though unfamiliar, was very tasty. No, it did not taste like chicken. It was cooked to perfection and had the perfect balance of spices. The bread and soup were also well made. The bread came in the size of extra-large dinner rolls and had a hearty wheat taste. The soup was a clear broth with small chunks of vegetables. All in all, a very satisfying meal. Gabriel seemed to enjoy it too.

  When we were ready to leave, I asked Gabriel about what an appropriate tip would be, and he seemed confused. It appears that tipping wait staff was not done. “No tipping” I thought to myself, “now I know I really am in a different world.” He also assured me that the restaurant paid its employees well. It was very well known and popular place and had many people wanting to work there. I paid the bill and we left.

  The next stop was, to my surprise, a tailoring shop. Gabriel explained to me that my dress was not to the standard for a professional in Forest Glen. When the tailor came out, he and Gabriel exchanged hugs. Apparently, they knew each other. Gabriel introduced me as Master Trevor, and the tailor another cousin. His name was Reborto. Here I was to get three sets of clothing, one for my profession, one of casual wear, and one for social gatherings. The robes that the Earl provided were fine for a professional to wear but had the Earl colors. I needed to decide on my own colors and integrate them into my clothing. At least the ones I would wear while working.

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  Choosing my colors was not as easy as I thought. I associated white and green with healing. However, the current Healing priests already used that as their colors and if I used the same color scheme conflict would arise. I thought of many different possible combinations and each one was shot down because others already use it. White robes with three color bands on the sleeve. Green representing healing injuries, red for curing diseases, and an aqua shade of blue for magic. I also wanted to create a unique patch/symbol to be embroidered on the robes, sort of like a company logo. It resembled a Shepards Staff, with a dot in the center of the crook. On the straight part of the question mark, scales were added. I wanted the color of the symbol to be gold but was quickly informed that the color was reserved for nobility only and using it was a crime. Silver was suggested, because many professionals used that color. I ended up settling on a green for the Shepards Staff, red for the dot, and aqua for the scales, all encompassed in a silver circle. This kept with my color scheme and used the silver to denote my professionalism. Gabriel would register my colors tomorrow.

  For the next hour, I once again, looked at fabric swatches and clothing styles. I let Reborto and Gabriel guide me in my selections, as I was really clueless as this point. I wasn’t stylish on Earth, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be here. My wife took care of all that for me. Here, Reborto and Gabriel can handle it. Although I was adamantly against the suggestion of shirts with ruffles, either on the sleeves or down the middle. As Reborto was a full-service tailor, under garments, sleeping clothes, and shoes were also purchased. One set of clothes would be delivered tomorrow by noon, with the rest being delivered daily over the next week. Gabriel negotiated the price, I paid, and we left thanking Reborto for his service.

  As it was dark and most stores were closing, Gabriel and I made our way back to Covern House. I could see there was a man waiting by the door. It was the furniture store owner. He waved as he saw us and approached. “The bed is set up and ready for you, Young Master Trevor.” And he handed me the key.

  “Thank you for the excellent service. I will keep you in mind for my future purchases. I hope I haven’t kept you waiting for too long.” I said as I took the key.

  “No worries Young Master. The men had just finished up, not an hour ago. If you need anything else, please let us know and we will get it sorted.” He did a quick bow and left.

  After we entered the foyer, Gabriel bid me a good night. I asked him where he would be sleeping, and he said he would sleep on the floor in the staff quarters. Rather than that, I suggested he go to an inn, which I would pay for. He argued for a minute, but I could tell he wasn’t looking forward to sleeping on a floor. I convinced him to take up my offer and had him rent the room for a week, so we had time to sort things out. I bid him good night and went upstairs to sleep.

  The bed was quite large, I noticed when I entered my room. I did a quick Cleanse spell on myself. Then I did one on the bed, just in case. I then disrobed and got into bed. “It was so soft” was my last thought I had before I fell into a dreamless sleep.